


The things we do for love

by Adsagsona



Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-17
Updated: 2013-02-17
Packaged: 2017-11-29 15:16:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/688414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adsagsona/pseuds/Adsagsona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nasir is a true Parisien, he loves his city, its haunts and its people. So when he finds a man at an ATM machine cursing the whole world, he finds that a bit odd.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The things we do for love

**Author's Note:**

> This turned out a hell of a lot longer than I expected. So sorry if you read through all of it and don't like it... it kind of ran away with me.  
> This is not beta'd, all mistakes are mine. Nasir and Agron sadly enough aren't.

Nasir had been back in his hometown for a few weeks now. The lovely city of Paris, France. He had grown up on the countryside as the adopted son of François and Marie, two lovely people who loved him dearly.   
He had had the most beautiful childhood with them and when he had ventured to ask if they would allow him to study in London, they encouraged him to do so. While this required that he would have to move there, Nasir called home every week and sent an e-mail now and again in between.

When he had finished his education, he found a job as a translator for a large press agency. Since he now had knowledge of four languages and notion of four others, he would serve them well. Again, this required Nasir to move into Paris. Since he had studied four years in London this pleased him immensely, for he was quite sure that he would never have been able to return to the quiet village he had grown up in. Although his parents missed him dearly, they would never think to stand in his way.

And so Nasir had found himself a small apartment on the topfloor of an old building in the middle of Paris. It cost an extreme amount of money, but he was willing to pay it for being so closeby to all of his favourite haunts.   
He was on his way to one now, in fact, Le Jardin des Tuileries.   
The weather was lovely and he didn’t have to be in the office today since it was the weekend and the most important pieces he had already translated for his boss. 

“Just do what I ask, you fucking… piece of shit!” 

The voice he heard sounded downright angry and Nasir looked around. He had just gotten out of the subway and was about to cross the street, when he saw a large man standing in front of a bank building, probably trying to get some cash out of the machine.

Nasir quickly scanned the man over. In his jeans and white plain t-shirt he didn’t look very threatening so Nasir decided that he could at least help the man who was obviously frustrated.

“Hey, can I help you with something?” Nasir asked. His voice just had a slight French accent, he sounded more British than French.

The man turned around, a little startled at the question. Nasir had posed the question as friendly as he could manage, not wanting to scare the poor man. Nasir couldn’t help but notice the man looked handsome, but he tried to focus.

“You speak English?” The man asked and when Nasir raised his eyebrow and rolled with his eyes the man began to laugh.

“Apologies, I didn’t mean it that way.” He said while he tried to look innocent.

“You’re in France, not the end of the world, you know. I wanted to see if you needed some help with anything, seeing as I heard you from across the street.” Nasir gestured to the place he had stood where he had heard the man first.

“You’re the first person I found here that speaks more than a few words of English. Can you help me read what this says?” The man asked and Nasir looked at the screen for a moment.

“You have typed your code three times, now your card is suspended. You have to call your own bank to ask for a new one.” Nasir translated and the man groaned.

“Great! Now I’m stuck here for another three or four days.” He sighed and Nasir felt sorry for him.

“Are you okay?” He asked now a little worried and the man shook his head.

“Nothing for you to be concerned about. Thank you for your help.” The man just said as he fished his now useless card out of the machine and put it in his wallet. Nasir didn’t know why, but there was something in the man’s eyes which made him linger. In the end he just stretched his hand out.

“My name is Nasir.” He said softly and was a little bit surprise when a warm large hand enveloped his and gently pressed.

“Agron.” The man answered, now at least he had a name.

“Agron.” Nasir repeated slowly as to taste the name on his tongue, trying to find which language the name should belong to, but he didn’t come up with one so soon. “Agron, have you seen les Tuileries? It’s a lovely place to go here in Paris when it’s so nice outside.”

“Haven’t seen much of Paris yet.” Agron answered shortly as he shrugged and again Nasir wondered what was wrong, but he didn’t ask and he just gestured for Agron to follow him. The men walked together in silence and entered the park. Agron seemed to take the image in of the people relaxing in the park ,the fountains, the green iron chairs spread over the park, the warmth of the sun lingering in the sand.

“This is quite nice.” Agron admitted and it made Nasir smile. Then Agron turned to him and the man looked a bit confused.

“Don’t you have to… be somewhere? I don’t mean to be rude but you people always seem to run from one place to the other like you’re in a massive hurry. I don’t want to keep you from anything, I’ll find my way alone too.”

Nasir smiled.

“I have the whole weekend off, if you must know. I thought, hey, let me find a tourist which I could show around town.” 

That actually made Agron laugh and he shook his head. “You are a strange one.” He said then, but when his stomach began to rumble Agron looked a bit uncomfortable into the distance. Nasir only now realised why the man had tried to get money from the ATM and he wanted to slap himself for not noticing before.

“You don’t have any money?” He asked and when Agron did not respond and looked away from him, he knew the truth.

“Okay, I’ll make you a deal.” Nasir then said as he touched Agron on the arm so that the other man would look at him. “I will treat you to dinner… ahah…” He said when Agron was about to interrupt him. “As I said I will treat you to dinner and you are going to tell me what has happened to you.”

Agron seemed to have doubts and while he was very hungry he didn’t want to tell a stranger all that had happened to him. Only when the touch went from his arm to his cheek, did he look at Nasir.

“Tell me something that you’ve made up, I don’t care. Just let me help you so that I feel better, okay?” Nasir softly asked and only then Agron nodded his agreement. 

“I know a place where they serve incredible sandwiches.” Nasir smiled and it seemed natural to tug Agron on his feet by taking his hands and pulling. Only when Agron stood and looked a bit down to Nasir did the other realise that they were still holding hands and Nasir took a step back, blushing.

“Apologies.” He whispered softly before heading towards the subway next to the Jardin des Tuileries. It was only a few stops down to Montmartre and Nasir would really love to show Agron all of the non tourist attractions in Paris, but he didn’t know if Agron was even interested.

By the footsteps beside him Nasir knew that Agron was still following him and when they went inside the train Agron sat next to him, very closely as they were squished between two of their fellow passengers.  
As Agron stayed quiet Nasir had the opportunity to think about what he had just done, inviting a complete stranger to dinner. For all he knew the man was a serial killer, looking for his next victim.

“I’m not one.”

Nasir looked up at Agron who looked at him as if he was completely crazy.

“A serial killer. I’m not one.”

Had he said that out loud? By the gods, he was stupid! Nasir gave a tentative smile and Agron burst out laughing, startling the two old ladies they were sitting beside. 

“It is only fair that you are careful, I really could be anyone.” Agron shrugged. “But you picked out a very ordinary dude to have dinner with so don’t worry too much.”

Nasir wanted to say that there was nothing ordinary about Agron, but he thought it wise not to speak again, since the last time that went so well. When the train stopped near the quartier Montmartre, Nasir got out and signalled Agron to do the same. When they came above ground Agron spotted the Moulin Rouge.

“Is that the famous cabaret?” He asked as he looked at the small mill on top of the building. “I thought it would be more like in the movie. Grander.” Agron then stated as he looked at Nasir, who shrugged.

“It’s not the building that counts. You should go to a show some time, it really is very good.” 

Agron shrugged, he didn’t have much interest in it. They walked towards one of the quieter streets and although they passed a lot of restaurants on their way, Nasir didn’t let Agron go in.

“But… burgers!” Agron pointed at the card which was fixed against the wall, but Nasir just shook his head and since he was paying Agron had no choice but to follow. In a tiny little street, not big enough for a car to pass through, they found a small place called “Chez nous” which had exactly five tables.  
The elder lady behind the bar immediately greeted Nasir and came around to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Et lui?” She asked.

“Un ami.” Nasir answered with a smile and she knowingly smiled back, leaving the both of them alone.

“What did she ask?” Agron wanted to know as they sat down at the farthest table. There were two other guests, both Parisiens, who hadn’t even bothered to look up when they entered.

“She asked who you were and I told her you were a friend. I come here a few times a week so she knows a bit about me. I normally don’t take anyone here with me. I come here when I want to be alone.” Nasir explained.

“Oh.” Agron replied, feeling a bit guilty until Nasir laid a hand on his.

“I brought you here, remember? My own choice. Now, Hélène is going to make us a baguette, but you don’t have a choice. Here you eat what you are served. Is that… are you okay with that?” Nasir asked, thinking that he should have asked this earlier.

“Feels familiar, my grandmother was the same.” Agron smiled and Nasir found himself smiling back.

Hélènes husband, Jacques, brought them their drinks, a glass of white wine for Nasir and a coke for Agron, after which Nasir waited for Agron to say something. Agron sighed and twirled his glass around a little.

“So… the truth or some fancy story I made up?” He finally asked and Nasir shrugged, like he wanted to say that it was up to Agron to explain.

“The truth then, but I warn you, it’s not a lovely story.” Agron began and Nasir frowned a little, but didn’t say anything.

“This was supposed to be my honeymoon.” Agron started his story and a small spark of jealousy went through Nasir, unreasonable as it was. “My boyfriend Alex and I had been planning this for some time. We weren’t getting officially married but it would be good enough for us and afterwards we were going to visit Paris because he had always liked to go there.”

Agron took a big gulp from his coke and kept staring into it, refusing to look up to Nasir. 

“When I came home early from work a few months ago I caught him together with a colleague of him. A closet gay type guy who didn’t want to have anyone outing him to the world, because he had a family.”

Nasir couldn’t believe that anyone could cheat on a man like Agron, because he seemed like a caring kind of guy, but since he didn’t know him, he decided to just shut up.

“I wanted to forgive Alex, I really did. It was one mistake and somehow I thought I would be able to handle it, but then he confessed that there had been others. A long line of them, even. It was his fault he said, not mine… he just couldn’t stay with one person.”

This is were the story became more difficult to tell. Agron had tears in his eyes and Nasir wanted nothing more than to just stop him from saying anything more, to comfort him and hold him in his arms, but he felt like Agron had to get everything out. So he gently rested his hand on Agron’s and let the man speak.

“We couldn’t cancel the trip anymore so I thought, fuck it, I’m going alone. I wasn’t going to let him have it with his latest conquest.” Agron snorted and he sighed. “Long story short, I didn’t have a good time here, I don’t understand what people are saying, I’ve only eaten McDonalds or Pizza Hut and I haven’t seen a thing of Paris.”

With his story told he looked up at Nasir with a sad smile. “Some pathetic loser I’ve turned out to be, huh?” He said and Nasir gently squeezed his hand.

“Your ex is a jerk, there is nothing more to it. How long are you still in Paris for?” Nasir asked as they got their baguette for lunch and Agron lunged at it like a hungry wolf. Nasir smiled at seeing him eat with such taste, but then Agron hesitated in saying something.

“What?” Nasir asked.

“I was supposed to go home yesterday, but I couldn’t find the ticket. The hotel people kicked me out because I couldn’t pay the room anymore, my visa got refused. So I tried to get money off the bank and that is where you found me.”

“You don’t have anywhere to stay and you can’t go home?”

“Yeah, that about sums it up.” Agron sighed softly and the baguette was almost forgotten. 

“Agron.” Nasir said as he cupped Agron’s chin making the other look at him. “I will help you. You can stay at my place, we will make a phone call at the bank for your card and I will show you Paris in the few days in between. You’ll have a real holiday. What do you think?”

“That you are far too kind. Why are you doing this for me, Nasir?” Agron asked and as they looked into each other’s eyes, it made Nasir blush.

“I have been hurt like you, before, and I would not have you suffer for another man’s faults. And I have grown fond of you in these last hours.” He added a bit nervously, but as Agron smiled his doubts vanished.

“Then you should show me more of Paris.” Agron mumbled as they finished their baguette and Nasir paid for it.

They walked through Montmartre and Nasir showed Agron the Sacré Coeur, they took the steps up to the top and while Agron tried to breathe he admired the few. He vowed that he would some day let an artist paint Nasir and they went into the Dali museum which was just around the corner.

The both of them were tired when they at last returned to Nasir’s small apartement and while Nasir had been hesitant about this in the beginning, he wasn’t now. He opened the door for Agron and when the man stepped in, he let his eyes wander over the sparse furniture. 

“Comfy.” He exclaimed as he noticed the couch, the small tv and the impossibly small kitchen. 

“It’s not much, I know, but I have everything I need.” Nasir smiled and he hoped that Agron would not mind it too much. 

“Do you want a beer or something?” He asked and Agron shook his head. 

“I just want to sleep if that is okay with you. I have to go to the hotel tomorrow for my bag though, I don’t want to hog all of your stuff.”

“You’re not.” Nasir replied, he had returned from the kitchen with a beer in hand and wanted to walk to the couch, but Agron blocked his way. In the tiny space the large man had a bit of a problem moving and in the end he just placed his hands on Nasir’s hips and lifted him while turning them both around. His hands lingered and Nasir felt a pleasant warmth crawling over his skin.  
Agron became aware of what he was doing and stepped back.

“I’m sorry, it’s just not that big in here and I…” Nasir stopped him from talking with a finger to Agron’s lips and he shook his head.

“I understand, I’ve felt it too.” Nasir said softly and he reached up, pressing a small chaste kiss to Agron’s lips. 

Agron could not resist any longer and he wrapped his arms around Nasir, pulling him closer, releasing a soft sigh.

“At least I’ve got something out of this holiday.” He chuckled and Nasir laughed softly with him, not knowing what he had gotten himself into, but he very much would like to find out.

Agron insisted that he would sleep on the couch, even though Nasir offered him the bed. Bed and couch were in the same room and Nasir could feel Agron’s eyes on him when he got ready for bed, getting under the covers in only his boxers.

“Good night, Nasir.”

“Good night, Agron.” Nasir replied and he tried to get some sleep, but found that it was quite difficult. When he heard a soft sigh on the other side of the room he figured that it was the same for Agron.

“Agron?”

The breathing suddenly stopped.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?” Agron asked and Nasir chuckled.

“No, I think the day’s events are too fresh in my memory. Would you like a beer now?” 

The laughter that followed was one of mirth, the light went back on and the both of them settled in front of the tv. Their hair mussed from the cushions, Agron scooted over to give Nasir room on the couch and draped his blanket over the two of them. Nasir tried to remain calm at the warmth he could feel coming from Agron’s body as they got drunk together. 

A few hours passed before Agron nuzzled Nasir’s neck and finally kissed. “Yer beautiful, y’knowtha?” 

“Agron you’re drunk.”

“I know… doesn’tmean itisn true.” Agron murmured further in a half sleepy voice, his face hidden from view.

“Thank you.” Nasir answered, not knowing what to do with this drunken log of a man, but then Agron lifted his head and his eyes looked very intensely upon Nasir, seemingly searching for something. When he seemed to have found what he was looking for he cupped Nasir’s cheeks in both hands and kissed him slowly.

Nasir, a bit startled by this, gasped and let Agron explore his mouth, before joining in the kiss. It felt too good and not before long he laid on his back on the couch, Agron hovering over him and placing kisses everywhere he could see bare skin. 

“Magnificent.” Agron whispered the word against Nasir’s chest and he wrapped Nasir in his arms again, holding him closer. In the next instant Nasir was firmly tucked against Agron’s chest, the blanket draped over the both of them and Agron in a deep sleep. Resigned to the fact that he was not about to go anywhere, Nasir tried to sleep as well.

The following morning Agron was the first to wake up and when he found a sleeping Nasir in his arms he was at first scared for what might have happened. In this short amount of time he had been caring for Nasir, but he just hoped that he hadn’t slept with him. However, when Nasir woke and looked up at him, seeing his confused face he smiled.

“I hope you slept well after manhandling me into your embrace. I felt like a teddybear.” He chuckled and Agron blushed at his words. 

“You’ve handled the teddybear with care.” Nasir then winked as he got up and out of Agron’s embrace. 

Immediately missing the warmth he reminded himself Agron was only a temporary guest in his home and country and that it would be no good to bond with him. He tried to concentrate on breakfast and then handed over his phone to Agron.

“If you want to call your bank…” He said before turning around, glancing at Agron who didn’t seem to want to call. Then he did and he got a little angry at the phone, hissing into it and finally handing it back to Nasir.

“It could take as much as a week. Look ehm… I’ll just go find another hotel, okay? I don’t want to stay in your way and I’ll find someone to wire me some money. I’ll be fine.”

“If that is what you want.” Nasir tried to be reasonable but when he turned around to face Agron the man looked so lost that he couldn’t bare leaving him alone in Paris. “But I want you to stay here until you know more. If you can handle it of course.”

“I think I should ask if you can handle it.” Agron replied and earned a grin from Nasir. He looked at the eggs splayed on his plate and found himself hungry again. While Nasir was supposed to work today he would call in sick. His brain told him that he was a fool, but his heart let him know that he might have made the right choice.

“I’ll show you some more of Paris if you’d like?” He asked and Agron’s face lit up, his beaming smile conquering Nasir’s heart even more and he nodded.

“I would love to, if we can go to the hotel first.”

Eventually they went to the small hotel Agron had resided first. Nasir talked the people behind the counter about Agron’s case and they pitied him, giving him half of the money back, his bag was set at his feet and Nasir handed him over the money.

“If you would like to get another hotel you can.” He said softly, but Agron shook his head.

“I’d rather stay with you.”

Nasir couldn’t help but smile and they walked the Paris’ streets together, going from the Eifel tower to the Louvre, resting in the Jardin the Tuileries where they met the day before. They sat together on a wooden bench, a pancake and coke in hand for their lunch.

“I can’t believe it, you’ve actually made me love Paris.” Agron smiled as he took a big bite out of his pancake, smearing chocolate all over his mouth. While Nasir had the hardest time not licking the chocolate off, he looked at the ground before temptation hit him. 

“You’re welcome.” He replied as he fidgeted a little, not knowing where to stay with his hands and feet. Agron would be gone in a few days, a week tops and after not more than a day, Nasir didn’t know if he could handle that.

“Nasir?” A hand settled on his knee and he startled, almost jumping to his feet, his pancake forgotten on the bench next to him. 

“I… we…” Damned, this was hard. “Do you remember what you said to me last night? When you were drunk? And what you… what we did?”  
“I remember us kissing if that is what you mean, and I called you beautiful, yeah.” Agron answered like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like he would kiss a stranger any day and tell him that he was beautiful.

“Why?” Nasir asked, feeling a little stupid but he just had to know.

“Because it’s the truth.” Agron sighed and he set his coke down, looking at Nasir. “Look, you probably think I’m crazy and you don’t know the first thing about me, but that’s how I feel. I don’t… I usually don’t do this type of thing. I don’t go on vacation alone and I sure as hell don’t go home with guys in Paris. But I did, with you. And I believe that means something.”

Nasir frowned at the explanation. He didn’t really know what to answer so he just sat down again and tried to think this over.

“What does it mean then? That this…” He gestured between the two of them. “Could work? But you’re going home in a few days and I don’t want to… get my hopes up for something that is bound to fail. And and…” He looked at the sky before saying what was really on his mind. “I don’t want to be your rebound.”

“Nasir, you’re not. Alex and I stopped six months ago. I may not be completely over him, but I’m not looking for a replacement.”

“Good.” Nasir nodded and he took Agron’s hand in his, squeezing it gently.

“I never asked you where you actually come from.” He then muttered as he was not sure if he wanted to find out.

“Australia.” Agron answered and Nasir smiled sadly. “I’ve always wanted to go there, and to New-Zealand, it’s supposed to be so beautiful.”

“It is.” Agron answered, but sadness was also present in his voice. “Maybe you can visit me some time. It’s not the end of the world.”

It might as well have been. Nasir had a job here in Paris, parents in the south of France, he had family, he had a life here, with friends who loved him. He couldn’t leave all of that behind, not for some guy he just met. But that wasn’t what Agron was asking of him, Agron wasn’t asking for anything.

Nasir got a call on his cellphone in that moment and he picked it up, giving it to Agron.

“Your bank.” He just stated before he moved away from the bench, giving Agron some privacy. The call was short and Agron handed him his phone back.

“Everything is back in order, I should be able to pick up some money from the ATM now.”

“Oh.” Nasir said softly. This meant Agron didn’t need him anymore.

“I guess I’ll have to book a ticket for the next flight then.” Agron wearily said and he went to the ATM across the street from the park, looking over his shoulder seeing Nasir still standing there.

“Nasir?”

He stretched out his hand, but Nasir didn’t come. He just stood there and the tears threatened to fall. He felt utterly stupid but he couldn’t help himself, he turned around in the hope that Agron would just leave him be, but no such luck.

“Nasir, please look at me.” Agron grumbled as he put his hands on Nasir’s shoulders and turned him around. When he noticed Nasir’s tears he kissed them away softly and then wrapped his arms around the other’s slighter form.

“Believe me when I say I want to stay with you. Please…” Agron almost begged and Nasir believed him, he just didn’t know what to say.

“You should go and make your arrangements. I’ll… I’ll go home and wait for you there.” Nasir said and he pushed off from Agron’s chest, leaving him alone to do his own bidding. He quickly went to his own apartment where he just sat and cried for someone he had only met the day before.

In his mind he made a decision in the following minutes and he left the apartment. When Agron arrived later in the evening he stood before a closed door and he got the message. He was due at the airport in half an hour so he just went back to the subway and onto a train which would take him to Charles de Gaulle airport.

Agron didn’t want to look back from then on. He fetched himself a London newspaper, in a language he could actually read and sat waiting for his plane to arrive, when suddenly he heard his name through the speaker. Frowning he made his way to the check-in, where he found Nasir, with a small bag in his hands.

“This gentleman claims that he is with you, but he doesn’t have a ticket.”

Agron smiled at Nasir and he looked at the stewardess for a moment. “Is there still a ticket available? I would gladly buy it for him.” 

The stewardess checked and she nodded while Agron handed over his visa. To his surprise it worked again this time and she handed it back over, giving Nasir his ticket which he put in his backpocket. They didn’t say much to each other until they were back in the waiting area, where Nasir hugged Agron close.

“I just couldn’t let you go, not like this, not before we even got a chance.” Nasir admitted and Agron kissed him full on the lips, ignoring the people around them staring.

“Merci.” Agron whispered softly in response, earning a laugh from Nasir with that horrible accent of his.


End file.
